Addresses the value of behavioral techniques in relation to children's maladaptive fears. Summarizes how such techniques are used in the home, in school, and in health care settings; discusses theoretical explanations of the success of behavioral interventions. Outlines variables that may affect outcome of maladaptive fear prevention programs.…

Insulin-dependent diabetic children and their parents were trained in behavioral self management and conducted behavior change projects designed to enhance compliance with the medical regimen and reduce diabetes-related conflicts. Participating families experienced fewer arguments concerning diabetes, and the children displayed an increase in…

Parents' reasons for failing to keep appointments at a child behavior management clinic were investigated. Explanations given frequently included: poor health status of parent or child, inadequate transportation, competing home and work responsibilities, and sudden crises. Further research is needed to assess the effects of interventions intended…

Two developmentally disabled children were held in seated position during application of timeout procedure. For autistic-like girl procedure produced dramatic reduction in tantrums and aggressive behavior and for mentally retarded boy reduced aggression. For both, immobilization timeout proved more effective than reinforcement methods alone. (CMG)

A youngster who excessively watched television was placed on a modified token economy: earned tokens were used to activate the television for set periods of time. Positive effects resulted in the child's school work, in the amount of time his family spent together, and in his mother's perception of family social support. (KH)

Reviews individual and group studies describing the application of behavior therapy techniques to the management of 41 electively mute children. Updates previous reviews of treatment techniques, examines criteria influencing application of specific techniques to individual children, and evaluates evidence as to relative effectiveness of different…

Describes four experiments conducted using a children's storybook and related games designed to help overcome fear of the dark. These materials incorporate behavior modification principles of fear reduction, including modeling, counterconditioning, shaping and hierarchical approach. Overall, the materials were found to be therapeutic,…

For a seven-year-old autistic boy, contingent jogging caused a significant decline in frequency of out-of-seat behavior that was maintained for 12 months. Unlike many other behavior suppression techniques, contingent exercise is safe and does not humiliate the client. (Author/LHW)

A self-instructional training program was evaluated with two boys who were diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity. The training included both conceptual and task-specific verbalizations and targeted completion of classroom work. Mothers were trained as adjunct therapists. Subjects became more self-controlled, less disruptive, and…

Describes a model for the synthesis of syndromal diagnosis and child behavioral assessment, and reviews the possible impact of the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (KH)

Telephone home survey can be used to identify child behavior problems accurately and assess their frequencies and setting conditions for "normal" children. This technique appears to provide reliable information useful in the design of community-targeted behavior management packages. (CMG)

A study showed that mentally retarded children can be taught rather easily to verbalize instructions, suggesting that past difficulty in such training was due more to inadequate procedures than to inherent difficulties related to children's ability to self-instruct. Correspondence between the children's verbal and nonverbal behavior was also…

Utilizes two different experiments to test the effectiveness of a variety self-instructional training methods to reduce the dental fears of groups of 8- to 12-year-old children. Results indicate that high levels of anxiety impair the effectiveness of self-instruction. (FMW)